by Sarah Noffke
Hiker pressed both his hands to the sides of his head in a vice grip. “So you didn’t want Sophia to actually get all of the mushrooms, then?”
“Of course not,” Mama Jamba scoffed. “That would have depleted the forest and left many animals without. What an awful thing to do.”
“Are you always trying to test us?” Hiker asked, irritation heavy in his voice.
“Empower you,” Mama Jamba corrected. “I’m trying to help you to become the best versions of yourself.”
“Being straight would do that,” he stated.
She shook her head. “That’s coddling, son. I might be your mama, but I’m not about enabling my children. If I tell you everything you need to know and exactly how to do things, then you never have the opportunity to figure things out on your own. One day, I might not be here to help you, and you’ve got to know how to trust your own instinct and find your own way.”
“What?” Hiker questioned at once, worry in his tone. “What do you mean you might not be here one day? Are you running off again?”
Mama Jamba began humming as she sorted through the basket of mushrooms, ignoring the question entirely.
“Mama?” Hiker demanded.
“Oh, son, I don’t know the future,” she said, her focus still on the mushrooms. “I don’t have any plans of leaving the Gullington, but you never know where the winds will blow you.”
“The thing is, you actually do since you control them,” Hiker reminded her.
Mama Jamba batted her eyes at him. “That’s true. Now, I better go get started on this spell. Please remember that although this might lead you to the demon dragons, there are no guarantees.”
Hiker nodded. “Yes, we can’t force them to return. I remember your warning from before.”
“Very good, son.” Mama Jamba picked up the basket to leave the study. Over her shoulder, she sang, “I think that’s a fine idea, son.”
Hiker blinked at her. “What is?”
“That thought you just had,” she answered as she trotted out of the office.
Sophia was just about to follow the old woman out when Hiker cleared his throat loudly, a gesture obviously meant to pause her.
“Yes, sir?” she said, turning to face him.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, barely audible.
Sophia didn’t say a word, merely pressed her lips together.
“I realize that you and I have two very different styles,” he went on. “That’s one reason I thought you’d make a good leader. I get that doubting you isn’t helpful, but you are new in this role. Mama doesn’t make it easy by saying one thing and then expecting another. Anyway, my point is, you did well with this mission.”
Sophia decided rubbing it in that she was right was probably ill-advised. She just nodded and said, “What would you have me do next, sir?”
“Go and check on the potion for Ainsley,” he ordered. “There isn’t much else to do until Mama creates her spell, and I know the elf is anxious to return to the elfin council.”
Sophia knew she didn’t imagine the regret in Hiker’s voice. She kept her gaze low and nodded, realizing that as hard as it was for her to let Ainsley go, it was going to be a million times harder for him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sophia half-expected for Rudolf to materialize beside her when she strode down Roya Lane. The king of the fae always seemed to be hanging out on the magical road, conducting some sort of business. She hadn’t heard from him about their new business venture regarding the healing elixir. He was apparently taking care of most of the details, working with Bep—the potions expert. Ruling over a kingdom had to be demanding, Sophia had reasoned.
Keeping her head down, Sophia hurried to Rose Apothecary to see the potions expert. She had expected the healing elixir would have been ready already, but then again, it was a pretty complex potion that hadn’t been tried before with these ingredients. Sophia felt strange to be giving the first dose to Ainsley. It worried her it might not be right and could have complications, but the elf knew the risks and was adamant about taking it when it was ready.
The door to Rose Apothecary chimed when Sophia entered the shop, marking her arrival.
“We’re closed,” Bep barked as soon as Sophia stepped through. “Come back in a week.”
Sophia blinked at the potions expert who was hunched over a cauldron in the middle of the shop. There were ingredients everywhere, and a strange, sweet odor wafted through the usually orderly shop.
“It’s me,” Sophia called, striding over to the magician, careful to step over the many things strewn across the wooden floor.
“It’s me isn’t a way of introducing yourself,” Bep corrected, stirring the cauldron. Sweat was beading on her forehead from the heat rising up from the flames below the pot. “And, we’re closed.”
“For a week?” Sophia checked over her shoulder at the door. There wasn’t a “Closed” sign on the front. It hadn’t been locked.
“Until I say so,” Bep stated. “Maybe a week. Maybe longer. Depends.”
“On?” Sophia asked.
“We’re closed,” Bep said, leaning down so low her head nearly disappeared inside the cauldron.
“You mentioned that,” Sophia agreed, striding over. “How is the healing potion coming along?”
“How do you know about that?” Bep asked, whipping her head up and spying Sophia with surprise. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Who did you think it was?” Sophia demanded.
“A customer,” Bep answered.
“That’s how you treat customers?” Sophia laughed.
“When we’re closed, and I tell them so clearly.”
“Again, why are you closed?” Sophia wanted to know. “Not in the business of making money?”
“I used to be, and then I took on this project for you, and it’s taken all my attention. The store has to remain closed until I get this right,” Bep explained, returning her attention to the cauldron. “It’s a very tricky and demanding potion. I need more of the dragon eggshells. I told you that.”
Sophia shook her head. “No, you didn’t.”
Bep picked up a pinch of purple powder from a bowl and tossed it into the cauldron, making it hiss with complaint. “I told that flamboyant man you work with. He said he’d bring by some in a few days, and that was several days ago.” She looked up suddenly. “He can’t tell time, can he? Probably can’t count either. Fae have no bearings.”
“Probably can’t count or tell time,” Sophia admitted. “But that’s not like Rudolf. He’s unpredictable, but he is dependable. He said he’d be in charge of delivering the dragon eggshells. I gave him all that we had, and he was keeping them safe for us.”
Bep raised an eyebrow. “You can’t trust a fae. He swindled you. Took all the dragon shell eggs and sold them on the dark market.”
Sophia shook her head. “Rudolf wouldn’t do that.”
“That’s exactly what a fae does,” Bep argued. “I bet you he told you that you’d be business partners. He came to you with the idea, and said he’d handle all the details if you’d provide him with the dragon eggshells.”
Sophia chewed on her lip, not wanting to admit that Bep was correct. “I’m sure he’s busy and hasn’t had a chance to deliver you more ingredients.”
Bep shook her head, taking a step backward. “Well, we’ve got another batch that’s no good. I can’t make any more until I get those eggshells.”
Twisting her mouth to the side, Sophia thought. “I think I can scrounge up some pieces from the Cave and Nest at the Gullington. They won’t be large sections like you had before, but enough to work with until I can find the ones I gave to Rudolf.”
“You won’t find that shifty fae,” Bep told her. “He ran off with your dragon eggshells. But yes, that will work.”
Sophia’s chest ached. She refused to believe King Rudolf Sweetwater had deceived her. He was many things. Insulting. Ridiculous. Ditzy. Annoying. However, Sophia knew at her core he was trustwo
rthy. He had more money than anyone she knew. There was no reason for him to double-cross her.
How do you think he made so much money? Lunis said in her head, having witnessed everything she’d seen and heard at the shop through scrying.
Sophia sighed. He got his money through the Las Vegas Strip.
Right, Lunis chirped. And you think that someone who profits off of gambling and general debauchery in a place nicknamed Sin City is worthy of your trust and wouldn’t deceive you?
He’s helped me many times, Sophia argued. Liv says he’s saved her butt several times. Why would he do something like this?
I don’t know, Soph, but you’ve got to track him down. I can check into gathering up the bits of dragon eggshells in the corners of the Nest, but it won’t be much, and I don’t suspect that any more eggs will be hatching soon.
Sophia nodded, realizing that Bep was watching her, and didn’t know she was having a conversation with her dragon in her head. Okay, have one of the guys deliver the dragon eggshells to Bep. I’ll find Rudolf, and if he has double-crossed me, then the Captains are going to grow up fatherless.
Then they might have a fighting chance of being half normal, Lunis teased.
Sophia shook her head. The Captains were the first halflings in history, being both mortal and fae. She wanted to believe that having Rudolf as their father would make them even more legendary. However, she was starting to doubt her judgments. Maybe she didn’t know the king of the fae at all. If that was true, what else had she misjudged?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Where before Sophia had cut around Roya Lane, not wanting to be noticed, now she marched boldly in the direction of the Fantastical Armory, her head held high. She shoved past gnomes blocking the avenue and elves panhandling for money, not in the mood for their antics. She was plainly madder than hell.
As soon as she’d left Rose Apothecary, Sophia had used her phone to track down Liv. Thanks to the location sharing app, she knew her sister was hanging out at the Fantastical Armory at the end of Roya Lane.
If anyone could help her track down Rudolf, then it was Liv. Hopefully, she had room in her schedule. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have her sister to pull her off the fae when she rearranged his face. She was having a hard time believing what Bep said about him double-crossing her, and yet, there was little other explanation.
Sophia swung the door open with more force than she intended when she entered Subner’s weapon shop. Liv, Subner, and Papa Creola all tensed at the sound of the intrusion.
With an angry glare on her face, Sophia stood in the doorway, trying to quell the fire building in her.
“Soph?” Liv asked, hurrying over. “What’s going on?”
Of course, her sister could read the frustration on her face.
Before Sophia could open her mouth to explain, Papa Creola drew in a breath like he was smelling the air. “She believes she’s been deceived.”
The way he phrased that gave Sophia pause. She tilted her head to the side. “Haven’t I, Papa Creola?”
He raised both his eyebrows and shook his head. “Deception is a subjective state. You are the only one who can tell whether it’s happened to you.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes at the elfin hippie. She should have expected such a nonhelpful answer. Returning her gaze to Liv, she cleared her throat. “It’s Rudolf. I have reason to believe he’s skipped town with my dragon eggshells.”
Liv’s mouth popped open. She appeared about to say something and then shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“That’s what I thought,” Sophia agreed. “I’m having a hard time trying to come up with another explanation. He was supposed to give them to my potions expert and he hasn’t. I tried calling him, and his phone goes straight to voicemail.”
Liv nodded. “That’s because he doesn’t understand that his phone has to be charged regularly. It’s always dying. He thinks just sending it positive thoughts works to fuel it.” Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Liv began scrolling through her contacts. “I always call his wife, Serena’s phone if I really need to get ahold of him.”
“Meaning that you want a headache,” Subner said dryly from the other side of the shop.
“Pretty much,” Liv said, nodding, holding the phone up to her ear. After a moment, her face brightened. “Hey, Serena. Is Rudolf around there?”
She paused, listening.
“You haven’t seen him,” she stated after a bit. Then she groaned. “But you had LASIK this morning and haven’t seen anything…Right. And the triplets? Who is watching them?”
Liv lowered her chin, annoyance on her face. “You realize they can’t watch each other.”
Sophia could hear the mortal on the other side of the line.
“Because they aren’t old enough,” Liv argued and then shook her head. “Yes, please call the nanny and have her come over. Now, do you know where your husband could be? When was the last time you saw him?”
Liv appeared to really be restraining herself after listening to Serena’s response. “Yes, of course, I meant before the surgery.” Another pause. “That long ago?”
She mouthed, “A few days” to Sophia.
She slumped, realizing that Rudolf could really be anywhere.
“He said he was going to get you some hallucinogenic cookies,” Liv repeated tentatively. “Yeah, I think I know where he was headed. Thanks, Serena. Please get someone to watch the Captains.” She listened. “Actually, I think the babies being really quiet is more of a cause for concern than if you could hear them.”
A worried expression covered Liv’s face but was quickly replaced with relief. “Oh, good. I’m glad to hear the staff says the babies are quiet because they aren’t there. Get some rest and good luck with the eyes.”
She paused. “Yes, I’ll tell Rudolf to bring you some Jolly Ranchers when we find him. Of course, you want green apple. Like there’s any other flavor.”
Liv shut off the phone right away, and sensing Sophia’s concern she managed a smile. “Apparently, the nanny picked up the triplets before Serena’s surgery, but she forgot because that was yesterday, and she doesn’t always remember things between sleeps.”
“Makes sense,” Sophia muttered. “So he went to Crying Cat Bakery, did he?”
“That’s the last place that Serena knew he was going to,” Liv answered.
Sophia swung around and made for the door. “Well, then let’s go track down that fae. He better work on a healing elixir because that might be the only way to save himself when I get a hold of him.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I just don’t think it’s funny,” Cat said when Liv and Sophia entered the magical bakery.
Lee sighed, running her hands through her short hair. “I don’t think you get the joke.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t think it’s a joke,” Cat retorted in her thick French accent.
Lee glanced at the sisters and nodded. “Good. You all can tell Cat how funny I am.”
“She’s hilarious,” Liv stated blankly. “We’ve got a question.”
“I do too,” Lee cut her off. “I’ve decided to try a new type of assassination.”
Sophia coughed abruptly, giving the assassin baker a pointed expression.
“I-I mean, another type of business venture,” Lee corrected. “That definitely isn’t meant to kill people.”
Sophia covered her face, wondering how she got mixed up with these types. She was half grateful she did because they were entertaining and made her seem normal. Then she wondered if she was actually the crazy one to have friends like this. “You’re practicing this new assassination style on your wife? Is that right?” Sophia asked.
“Well, it’s obviously not working so no harm, no win,” Lee answered, changing the usual phrase of “No harm, no foul.” The baker assassin smiled sweetly at her wife. “I try all my killer moves on this woman. She’s invincible, though. I try and drop an anvil on her head, and it tumbles to the side and misses h
er. The woman has more lives than a lynx.”
“More than nine, huh?” Liv asked.
“Can you stop trying to kill people with anvils?” Sophia complained. “It’s very Wile E. Coyote and the last time I checked, you’re not a cartoon. Oh, and by the way, can you also stop trying to kill people?”
“You would be luckier telling her to kill people,” Cat said, striding over to a table. “Tell her to do something, and she does the opposite. ‘Pick up your clothes, Lee,’ and guess what? Nothing happens. ‘Kill that guy over there, dear.’ Guess what happens? He lives. Lee is great at playing the opposite game.”
“He was a paying customer,” Lee argued, putting her hands on her hips.
“He came into the shop before I’d had my coffee,” Cat stated.
“It was five o’clock in the afternoon,” Lee said.
“And I had just woken up…without coffee,” Cat said like that should have been obvious.
“Anyway.” Lee focused on the sisters. “I’m thinking of a more subtle art of ass…ridding the world of people.”
Sophia sighed. “It doesn’t matter how you phrase it.”
“Okay, cool,” Lee said victoriously. “We’re going to be open about this now. I like being candid.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Sophia disagreed.
“Anyway, I was thinking of killing people through laughter,” Lee went on. “Many people tell me that I’m so funny it hurts.”
“Who says that?” Cat asked, combing through bits and bobs scattered across a table.
“People,” Lee answered. “Anyway, I’ve heard I’m deadly funny.”
“I think you heard things wrong.” Cat continued to sort through various objects, getting Liv’s attention.
“What’s all that?” the Warrior for the House of Fourteen asked.
“Not stolen merchandise,” Cat answered at once and started to whistle inconspicuously.